In vivo evaluation of Berberis vulgaris extract on acute toxoplasmosis in mice

Abstract

Since last centuries, herbal medicines have been considered as

the main source for prevention and treatment a broad spectrum

of illnesses as well as infectious diseases. Here we evaluated the in

vivo activity of Berberis vulgaris methanolic root extract against

acute toxoplasmosis induced by Toxoplasma gondii, RH strain.

Male NMRI mice orally treated with B. vulgaris methanolic

extract at the dose of 1 and 2 g/kg once a day for 14 days after 24

h mice were infected intraperitoneally with 104 tachyzoites of T.

gondii, RH strain. The mortality rate in all infected mice and also

parasite load were determined to assess the efficacy B. vulgaris

methanolic extract against acute toxoplasmosis in mice model.

The obtained results demonstrated that the mortality rate of

infected mice was 100%, in 9th day after orally administration of

B. vulgaris at the concentrations of 1 and 2 g/kg; while all mice

in the control group were death in 5th day. Moreover obtained

findings revealed that the mean number of tachyzoites was

131×104 and 79×104 for infected mice treated with B. vulgaris

at the concentrations of 1 and 2 g/kg, respectively, whereas in

control group the mean number of tachyzoites was 288×104

parasite. The obtained findings demonstrated the potential

of B. vulgaris as a natural source for the production of new

prophylactic agent for use in toxoplasmosis.

Keywords

• Toxoplasma gondii; Berberis vulgaris; Prophylactic; In vivo

Berberis vulgaris ekstraktının farelerde oluşturulan akut toksoplazmozis üzerine etkileri

Abstract

Son birkaç yüzyıldır bitkisel kaynaklardan elde edilen ilaçlar

çeşitli hastalıklarla birlikte enfeksiyon hastalıklarının da

tedavisinde ve profilaksisinde kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada;

Berberis vulgaris’in köklerinden hazırlanan matanollü

ekstrenin, Toxoplasma gondii RH suşuyla enfekte edilerek

akut toksoplazmozis oluşturulmuş farelerdeki etkisi araştırıldı.

Erkek NMRI fareleri intraperitoneal yoldan Toxoplasma gondii

RH suşuna ait 104 taşizoitle enfekte edildikten 24 saat sonra

bu farelere oral yoldan Berberis vulgaris’in ekstresi 1 ve 2 g/kg

dozlarda, günde 1 kez, 14 gün boyunca uygulandı. Tüm farelerde

ölüm oranı ve parazit yükü tespit edilerek akut toksoplazmoziste

B. vulgaris’in metanollü ekstresinin etkisi belirlendi. Berberis

vulgaris’in 1 ve 2 g/kg dozlarda oral yoldan uygulanmasının

takip eden 9. günde farelerde ölüm oranı %100 olarak belirlendi,

kontrol grubundaki bütün farelerin 5.günün sonunda öldüğü

gözlendi. Berberis vulgaris’in 1 ve 2 g/kg dozlarda uygulandığı

gruplarda ortalama taşizoit değeri sırasıyla 131×104 ve 79×104

olarak saptanırken kontrol grubunda taşizoit sayısı ortalama

288×104 parazit olarak belirlendi. Elde edilen sonuçlar

dikkate alınarak B. vulgaris’in toksoplazmozis profilaksisinde

kullanılabilecek bir ilacın üretiminde doğal kaynaklı bir bileşen

olarak kullanılabilirliği gösterilmiştir.

Keywords

• Toxoplasma gondii; Berberis vulgaris; Profilaksi; In vivo

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